To the extent they fulfill their mission of reporting the news, newspapers are an incredible community resource. They provide an invaluable service in informing the community of Who is doing What and When and Where it took place. That’s news. There’s even a place for the Why of the story. That’s what Op-Ed pages and sections are for.

Problems crop up when news organs such as newspapers stray from reporting the news or even interpreting the news into being the subject of the news. The Memphis Commercial Appeal would appear to have veered significantly from their mission to report the news to what would seem to be some form of political activism with their decision to post access to the State of Tennessee’s database which contains information about the men and women across the state who have applied for and received a license to carry a concealed weapon.

Who gave the Commercial Appeal the go ahead to publish PRIVATE information? Where is it said that newspapers have the right to put people in danger? The whole purpose of concealed carry is for protection, yet these weasels could very well be putting the permit carriers in danger, but other innocents if the information fell into criminal hands for the purpose of theft.

They treat us as if we are criminals when all we did was go through the process to be able to carry a handgun on our person.

Perhaps it would make more sense for the Appeal to make personal information available about REAL criminals, those who are running roughshod over the city of Memphis. You know, the gang bangers with criminal records a mile long, the thieves, child molesters, and yes, even the politicians!

Amendment II – A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.

Those who choose to go through the training, apply, and receive their CCP are part of that ‘well regulated militia’. What the Appeal has done is an infringement.

Unbelievable! I get an email from John McCain, wanting me to donate to his re-election campaign?

Being the Republican nominee for President was one of the great honors of my life and an experience I will never forget. Some have wondered, after my hard fought presidential campaign, if I plan to run for re-election to the United States Senate.

The economic challenges currently confronting our nation are immense and unfortunately, the Democrats in Congress propose addressing these challenges through increased spending that wastes billions of taxpayers dollars and saddles our children and grandchildren with a staggering debt. Their proposals will not stimulate economic growth or create jobs. While the leader of the Democratic Party, President Obama, has pledged to change business as usual in Washington and spoken of bipartisanship, I have been saddened to watch as Congressional Democrats try to use their majority to advocate more of the same failed policies and wasteful spending of the past. With so much at stake, now is not the time to step away from my work in the Senate.

As always, I anticipate a tough re-election challenge. But with your help, we will counter those efforts and put forth an aggressive campaign by registering new voters, reaching out to Democrats, Independents and Republicans, and again earning the support of Hispanic and Native American voters in Arizona.

I am honored to serve the people of Arizona as their United States Senator. I would be most appreciative of your support of my re-election efforts and hope you will click here to join my re-election team. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
John McCain

PS: I hope you will join “Friends of McCain” today by logging on to www.FriendsofMcCain.com and donating $25, $50, $100, $250, $500 or more to my re-election campaign.

The Tennessee Republican Party stripped House Speaker Kent Williams of his GOP affiliation on Monday as punishment for the Jan. 13 vote in which Williams joined all 49 House Democrats to elect himself as speaker.

GOP Chairman Robin Smith said it would be easier and more politically expedient to simply ignore Williams’ action, but the party’s credibility was at stake. The state’s 66 executive committee members voted to take the action last week.

Well, we expected this to happen eventually.

“This party, our principles, our great people are not to be jeopardized, compromised or bargained away for personal gain,” Smith said, acknowledging Monday that the party’s actions nudge the House into an exact split of 49 Republicans, 49 Democrats and Williams.

When you have such a tiny majority, the need to have EVERYONE on board is essential. I guess Williams’ ego was just too much for him to control, and the good of the party, and the people of Tennessee did not come into play in his decision to betray his fellow Republicans.

“To think that we had a majority with Kent Williams is really intellectually dishonest,” Smith said. “Mr. Williams has had 28 days to show how he was going to lead as a Republican majority leader, and what he has instead demonstrated is that he is not going to be.”

When you have someone, so arrogant, who thinks HE would be better than anyone else, you have some serious problems. Williams may have the title of Speaker, but in reality, it belongs to the Dems, and Naifa. This is one reason why the Republican Party has been heading down hill.

Williams responded to the state party’s action by issuing a defiant statement in which he appears to refuse to relinquish his GOP affiliation, saying “I remain a Carter County Republican with the same principles that brought me to the General Assembly in the 2006 elections.”

“No matter what type tent (Smith) wants for the State Republican Party it is clearly not the tent of the Carter County Republican Party,” he said in the statement.

That ‘tent’ has been causing problems too! That tent is one reason why I’m no longer a Republican. Once a party loses its principles, there is nothing to hold it together. Whether national, state, or local, no amount of tent expanding is going to help if you do not hold dear the principles for which the party once stood. It’s not about color, or religion, or origin. It’s about life, liberty, and the PURSUIT of happiness. Rights guaranteed by our Creator, not by some government entity. With Mr Williams betrayal of those principles, going against the need for a strong House Speaker, has put all hope of moving the state back towards the principles that once make it strong, at risk.

Yes, he really did say it! American people don’t care how much of their money the weasels in D.C. waste. We are just too stupid to know what is best for us. Way to go Chuckie! You just happen to be DEAD WRONG! We are fed up with the wasteful spending on crap! Yes….CRAP! Programs that do nothing, bike paths that should be paid for by the residents who want it, and studies to figure out why bears take a dump in the woods! ENOUGH! Our so called representatives no longer represent We, The People. It’s is way past time for a REAL change in Washington!

President Obama’s explanation during his press conference Monday night of a comment made last week by Vice President Joe Biden appears to raise that question.

FOX News’ White House correspondent Major Garrett asked the president to explain a Biden comment made last Friday, during which he said, “there’s still a 30 percent chance we’re going to get it wrong.”

The man can NOT give a straight answer to a straight question. Vague and rambling. And this is the ‘leader of the free world’? Say what you will about Bush, he may have bungled words, but at least we understood what the hell he was talking about. Most of the time.

The Senate on Monday defeated Republicans’ efforts to block the massive economic rescue package, as President Obama used the bully pulpit to trumpet the merits of the stimulus bill, which Republicans say is still rife with scattershot spending that won’t help the beleaguered U.S. economy.

In a critical victory for Mr. Obama, the Senate on Monday voted 61-36 to cut off further debate on the bill, setting up a final passage vote Tuesday after brushing aside criticism the $838 billion plan misspends billions of dollars on items ranging from fighting Mexican gunrunners to buying golf carts for federal workers.

I saw Arlen Specter (RINO) on the news this morning. I must say, if he was a Democrat, he’d be in a big time leadership position. I honestly do not believe any of the 3 traitors (Specter, Snowe, Collins) to the American people have even read the bill. Odds are, I’ve read more of it than they have, and it’s not really my job. It’s theirs! So why aren’t they doing it? Is Harry Reid such a strong personality he’s kowed those 3? Uh….no. Whimpy little weasels aren’t known for their leadership skills. So, I’m at a loss as to why they have totally deserted their principles to go along with a bill that will completely destroy, not only the economy, but almost every other aspect of our freedoms.

Rowling had told the Houston Chronicle in an interview Friday that he suspected his support for Hutchison played a role in the “hidden agenda” behind criticism of him as chairman of the University of Texas Investment Management Co. Perry responded later by saying he thought the bonus was a mistake when higher education investments lost 27 percent of the value and UTIMCO President Bruce Zimmerman, who got a $1 million bonus, already has a $500,000 yearly salary.

I’m sorry, but I do not believe one single so called ‘educator’ deserves such a salary, or a bonus on top of it. That’s ridiculous. Schools at all levels aren’t teaching kids to think, to reason, to investigate on their own. They are indoctrinating them. But even that is no reason for the childish pettiness of political figures. This is getting beyond absurd. All the back biting, the snide remarks, the under handed dealings speak volumes of politicians on ALL levels. And it ain’t pretty!

In the end, Geithner largely prevailed in opposing tougher conditions on financial institutions that were sought by presidential aides, including David Axelrod, a senior adviser to the president, according to administration and congressional officials.

Geithner, who will announce the broad outlines of the plan on Tuesday, successfully fought against more severe limits on executive pay for companies receiving government aid.

He resisted those who wanted to dictate how banks would spend their rescue money. And he prevailed over top administration aides who wanted to replace bank executives and wipe out shareholders at institutions receiving aid.

At a time when B. Hussein is spouting doom and gloom, and crisis, and catastrophe, is it really wise to give even more money to the very banks, and their execs, who ran such haphazard operations? No one even knows where at least $78 billion went from the first ‘pay out’, and they want to hand over MORE of OUR money? From all appearances, those very same banks have done NOTHING to warrant more funds. And Geithner? Well, since he can’t even use Turbo Tax, which is probably the most simple tax program ever written, then how the hell can he be expected to know how to run the nation’s finances. What the hell is wrong with those people?????

The human rights group said in a report that at least two dozen men have been shot dead by gunmen from the Palestinian militia that governs the Gaza Strip since December 27.

“Scores of others have been shot in the legs, knee-capped or inflicted with other injuries intended to cause severe disability, subjected to severe beatings … or otherwise tortured or ill-treated,” it added.

“Hamas forces and militias in the Gaza Strip have engaged in a campaign of abductions, deliberate and unlawful killings, torture and death threats against those they accuse of ‘collaborating’ with Israel, as well as opponents and critics,” the report said.

They are just now finding this out? Kind of slow, aren’t they. Hamas is a terrorist organization, and that’s what terrorists do….cause terror!

Gov. Phil Bredesen called for a federal solution to the nation’s health insurance woes on Monday, urged new approaches to higher education and proposed a new solar power initiative to bring high-tech green jobs to Tennessee amid economic turmoil.

Bredesen delivered his annual State of the State speech amid deep financial uncertainty, calling Tennesseans “a resilient and common-sense people” even as he said the state should prepare for difficult days ahead.

Not just no, but HELL no! Government run health care is a dismal failure. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Now, I’m sure the powers that be actually believe they can do a better job with health care than you and your doctor, but they are dead wrong. Yes, the costs have spiraled out of control, but that would be because of gubmint intervention. HMOs anyone? Thank you Teddy Kennedy for providing the American insurance companies with the tools to DENY health care. And the hits just keep on coming.

The koala, clearly in pain from scorched paws, stopped when it saw Tree following behind.

“It was amazing, he turned around, sat on his bum and sort of looked at me with (a look) like, put me out of my misery,” Tree said. “I yelled out for a bottle of water. I unscrewed the bottle, tipped it up on his lips and he just took it naturally. He kept reaching for the bottle, almost like a baby.”

The team called animal welfare officers as it resumed its patrols on Sunday, the day after the firestorms swept southern Victoria state. Tree says he’s spoken to wildlife officials, and the koala, nicknamed Sam, is doing fine. And it turns out he’s a she.

Do you agree with President Barack Obama’s assessment that an economic stimulus package is needed immediately to prevent the economy from getting worse?

Yes 36%

No 61%

Unsure 3%

Total Votes 398
(as of 10:00a.m.)

Obviously, this is just a sampling, but it gives you the over all idea that a MAJORITY of people do NOT believe B. Hussein’s doom and gloom, and are a LOT smarter than the ALL of the Democrat senators, and 3 of the Republicans.